October 19 - Berlin

Last night after arriving at our hotel from our long train ride from Prague, we went to a tiny restaurant close to our hotel called Gaststätte Zum Bohnsdorfer Eck. It was packed with locals, so we knew the food would be great. We were not disappointed. 

Berlin had frost last night. As you can imagine the walk back to the hotel was brisk. Now I wish I had brought a warmer coat on this vacation. We are staying at the Loginn Hotel near the Berlin airport. It is a budget hotel with the normal European small room, but it is clean. It is a rude return to reality after staying in the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Prague. This hotel is next to the SBahn station, so we can get into downtown Berlin with a minimum of fuss. 

Berlin’s history stretches back to its emergence as the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia in the 18th century, becoming a centre of political power, culture, and innovation. In the 19th century, Berlin flourished as it became the capital of the newly unified German Empire in 1871, expanding rapidly during a period of industrialisation and cultural identity.

German’s defeat in the first world war, signalled a major decline in Berlin importance in the world. It was more known for its lewd nightclubs than anything economic or political. The Weimar era of the 1920s, was marked by instability, hyperinflation, and the rise of extremist political forces. This would eventually lead to the collapse of the Weimar Republic and the ascent of the Hitler and his Nazi regime.

During the Second World War, Berlin became the epicentre of Nazi Germany’s military operations and political strategy. As the war progressed, the city endured relentless Allied bombing raids, which left much of it in ruins and resulted in significant civilian casualties. In the final days of the conflict, Berlin was the scene of fierce street-to-street fighting as Soviet troops advanced, culminating Hitler’s suicide and the city’s capture in May 1945. The devastation was immense, and it took years to recover.

After the Second World War, Berlin became a focal point of the Cold War. The city was split into sectors controlled by the Soviet Union, the United States, Britain, and France, with East Berlin serving as the capital of communist East Germany, while West Berlin remained a Western enclave deep within the East. Tensions escalated in 1961 with the construction of the Berlin Wall, a stark symbol of ideological division, which separated families and friends for three decades. Life on either side of the wall was drastically different, with the West experiencing greater freedoms and prosperity, while the East remained under strict government control, surveillance, and limited personal liberties. It should be noted that many of Berlin’s pre-war iconic buildings were in East Berlin. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 marked a pivotal moment, signalling the end of the Cold War and paving the way for German reunification. Berlin became the capital of a unified German in 1990.

When we come to a new city, one of the ways we get oriented is to take the Hop-On Hop-Off bus. We take the full tour and then decide which places we would like to see in more depth. We have mixed feelings about the Berlin bus. We got to see many important sights and the commentary was informative, but there were several stops that served no other purpose than to place in you in a shopping district.

Our first stop was at the Berlin Victory Column which is in Tiergarten park and commemorates Prussian military victories in the wars German unification. It is topped by a golden statue of Victoria. Apparently, there is a fantastic view of the city from the observation deck at the top of the tower.

Berlin Victory Column

Our next stop was the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. The church serves as a symbol of peace and reconciliation. Originally built in the 1890s to honour Kaiser Wilhelm I, the church was destroyed during an air raid in the Second World War. Rather than being fully reconstructed, its ruined spire was preserved as a memorial to the devastation of war and a reminder of the importance of peace.

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

After passing through embassy row, we entered what was East Berlin. Here we stopped at the last remaining section of the Berlin Wall. Interesting enough, it forms the outside wall of the courtyard for a museum about the horrors of the Gestapo.

On our return trip to the railway station, we passed several imposing museums on Museum Insel (Museum Island). 

Berlin Cathedral

We then headed down Unter den Linden to the Brandenburg Gate and rounded the Reichstag Building, Germany’s parliament building with its stunning glass dome.

Reichstag Building

Overall, we could easily spend several days in Berlin.

I'm not sure if this design for soft drink and water bottles is a great idea because it makes putting the cap back on simple or a pain because it interferes with your ability to take a drink out of the bottle. The twist top has a hinge so that you can't completely take the top off of the bottle. You need something sharp to cut the plastic.